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STARCOURT MALL WAS THE IDEAL location to travel to for anything ranging from new clothes to the latest flicks to kisses that tasted of ice cream. The late morning sun streamed through the diaphanous roof, illumining the faces of carefree customers as they milled about the interior of the mall, shopping bags dangling from tanned arms and laughter saturating the atmosphere. The heady scent of fragrance from Fine Perfumes intermingled with specialties from the food court, a stark contrast to the fresh air outside. Outlets such as RadioShack and Time-Out Arcade had supplanted their downtown counterparts, the entire region on the brink of collapse in the months following the mall's opening. There was something for everyone at Starcourt, no matter their age.
However, those who had to work at the mall didn't get to experience the same thrill as everyone who was able to shop there.
Amara had only been working for two hours and she was already exhausted. Steve was in the backroom; even being slightly more truthful when hinting that he was interested in a girl he was serving ice cream to hadn't earned him a date, and he was oh-for-two so far that day. This left Amara and Robin behind the table, counting down the minutes until their lunch break arrived.
"Have a nice day," Robin drawled, extending her arms and handing two ice cream cones to the couple in front of her. They thanked her and departed, revealing the next customer; upon recognizing who it was, Amara's face lit up into a smile for the first time in hours.
"Dustin!" she exclaimed, taking advantage of the fact that there were no other customers to weave around the counter and engulf him in a hug. "You're back!"
"I'm back!" Dustin beamed up at Amara. While she adored all of the younger kids, she had always nurtured a soft spot for Dustin. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they both loved everything science fiction, or perhaps it was because he'd been bullied for his cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition that, similar to her autism, he didn't choose to have. "Are we still on for Back to the Future this Wednesday?"
"If I can find any time in my schedule, then definitely," Amara promised. She caught sight of Robin, who was watching their exchange in amusement. "This is my friend Robin, by the way."
"Hi!" Dustin greeted over-enthusiastically; Robin waved airily, resting her palms on the counter. Dustin turned back to Amara expectantly, "Uh, is – is he here?"
Before Amara could respond, the employee door burst open, Steve's shoes scuffing against the tiled floor and a grin extending across his face at the sight of his best friend. "Henderson," he breathed, raising his arms and earning a laugh from Dustin in reply.
"Henderson!" Steve bounced on the balls of his feet, not caring what Robin thought of him for behaving so childishly. His weird child friend was finally back after an excruciating month of unfair wages and ongoing rejection. "He's back! He's back!"
